All Indiana State Library events and workshops are free and open to the public.
All events and workshops occur at the Indiana State Library. You can enter the State Library at 315 W. Ohio Street, Indianapolis, Indiana. Programs require no registration. For more information call 317-232-3675.
Family History Orientation Tours
Learn where different family history resources are located on the first and second floors of the Indiana State Library. This is a free orientation tour, geared toward genealogists. Pre-registration is required; please call 317-232-3689.
Upcoming Tours
Thursday, Aug. 4, 2011 Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2011 Thursday, Sept. 1, 2011 Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011
What’s New
Did you know?
The John S. Wright Memorial Library, the Indiana Academy of Science’s collection of materials, is located at the Indiana State Library. It contains an extensive collection of items from scientific organizations worldwide and is composed mostly of scientific journals. The collection can be accessed through the library’s catalog, Evergreen Indiana. Items are free to view by anyone visiting the library, and most can be borrowed by patrons of the State Library, as well as through Evergreen borrowing and traditional interlibrary loan.
Join the Indiana State Library as well as other state agencies and statewide non-for-profits on August 11th to learn about Hoosier history at the annual Hoosier Heritage Day at the Indiana State Fair, 9 a.m. - 9 p.m., on State Fair Boulevard.
Fairgoers can meet re-enactors portraying Madame C.J. Walker, President Abraham Lincoln, and Raggedy Anne. After talking with the re-enactors, attendees can play a history trivia game, try on an Indiana Supreme Court Judge’s robe, or put together a State House puzzle. Attendees can learn more about Hoosier participation in all U.S. wars by talking with historical re-enactors or by visiting with the staff at the Indiana War Memorial. Finally, take a trip on one of the architectural trolley tours and learn about the history and beauty of the buildings at the State Fair.
To see what you can do at Hoosier Heritage Day, an entire day devoted to Indiana History, check out the schedule of events for the day and see what agencies and organizations will be there.
Upcoming Events & Workshops
Women Telegraphers
Wednesday, August 3, Noon-1:00pm, Indiana Author’s Room By the 1870s, when railroads and the telegraph fathered a corporate economy that dominated the country, women found employment in this white-collar work. Find out what life was like for these women in America’s first high-tech communications field.
Healing Waters: Mineral Spas in Indiana
Thursday, August 4, 5:30-6:30pm, History Reference Room Indiana played a large role in the water-cure craze of the late 19th & early 20th centuries. Most famous were French Lick and West Baden, but Indiana had other mineral springs which were developed into spas. Learn about sources for further exploration as well as some interesting items held in the State Library’s collection.
Researching America’s Cultural Roots: The American Folklife Center
Monday, August 8, Noon-1:00pm, Indiana Author’s Room Folklife is the backbone of our culture, whether songs, stories or even recipes. Learn about the American Folklife Center from the Library of Congress. Find out what’s in their online collection, how to look up your family and what is in our collection.
From Cradle to Grave
Wednesday, August 10, 10:00-11:00am, History Reference Room Church records are important resources that can provide a wealth of information about your ancestors. This program will discuss the many church records and related sources available in the collections of the Indiana State Library.
Studebaker: A Hoosier Original
Wednesday, August 17, 11:00am-Noon, Indiana Author’s Room Founded in South Bend in 1852 as a maker of carriages, wheelbarrows and wagons, the Studebaker Company went on to become one of the most innovative and successful automobile manufacturers in the country. Learn more about the history of this legendary corporation.
So Your Ancestor Was from the City?
Thursday, August 18, 5:30-6:30pm, History Reference Room Program will discuss several of the unique resources for urban research including guides, directories, maps, municipal records in the Indiana State Library and other venues.
Pioneer Painters of Indiana
Wednesday, August 24, Noon-1:00pm, History Reference Room
This program is based on the book of the same title by Wilbur David Peat, Director of the John Herron Art Institute from 1929-1966, historian, author and painter. Hidden frontier and pioneer treasures found in books from the State Library collection will be featured. Presented by Janet Meek, Indiana Collection Librarian.
Alternatives to Official Death Records
Thursday, August 25, 5:30-6:30pm, History Reference Room This program will show different types of resources to search when there isn’t an official death record. It covers print, microfilm, and electronic resources with special emphasis on the materials within our collection. Presented by Daina Bohr, Genealogy Collection Librarian.
Remarkable Indiana Dames
Wednesday, August 31, 10:30-11:30am, History Reference Room. Learn about Hoosier women who worked to change life in Indianapolis and Indiana during the 19th and 20th centuries. Women such as: May Wright Sewall, Gene Stratton Proter and Madame C.J. Walker. Presented by Ron Sharp, Reference & Government Services supervisor.
